"Eat people? I meant a chick!"
The woman was also taken aback.
"No need, no need, we've already eaten."
Luffy was puzzled, never expecting the residents of Loguetown to be so hospitable.
He clearly didn't know this kind lady, yet she was so enthusiastically inviting him to her home.
"Ah, but it's precisely after eating that you need some exercise to help digest! Young man, our services here are excellent. Don't be in such a hurry to leave, come in and take a look first?"
The heavily made-up woman laughed as she pulled Luffy's arm, dragging him toward a doorway in the alley.
Robin frowned.
Well-traveled and experienced, she immediately recognized what kind of woman this was.
Clearly, she was a madam from the pleasure district.
Just as she moved to stop Luffy, she saw him being pulled and tugged by the madam directly inside.
Luffy never knew how to refuse enthusiastic people.
He could only be dragged and pulled into the building by the woman.
Though annoyed, Robin remained silent, quietly following behind Luffy into the building.
Upon entering, Robin saw that the interior was quite spacious.
The entrance opened into a large hall furnished with sofas and round tables.
Over a dozen scantily clad girls sat on the sofas.
A few appeared composed, their faces and lips made up with powder and lipstick like the madam.
The others sat in silence, not making a sound.
"Ma'am, is this a tavern? If you're offering me food, thank you so much."
Luffy looked around, trying to spot anything related to food.
Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to find anything.
In the corner, a girl sitting on a sofa with her head bowed trembled slightly, then cautiously looked up toward Luffy.
The madam's exaggerated smile stiffened.
She forced a dry laugh, "Young man, you do like to joke. Didn't you say you just ate?"
As she spoke, she clapped her hands at the girls on the sofas and snapped.
"What are you all gaping at? Come over here and let the customer choose!"
Her voice was shrill, like fingernails scraping against glass.
The woman seemed quite authoritative.
No sooner had she spoken than the dozen or so girls hurriedly stood up and lined up in front of Luffy.
The girl in the corner quickly stood up as well.
She had long, pale golden hair and a petite figure.
Though her head was lowered, the partially visible curve of her cheek revealed she was a woman of exceptional beauty.
"Lift your heads! What's wrong with all of you? Looking so listless—do you want Captain Saruba to teach you a lesson?"
At the mention of Saruba's name, the girls shuddered, their bodies trembling as they hurriedly raised their heads.
"What's going on?" Luffy scratched his head in confusion, staring blankly at the dozen or so girls before him.
The madam grinned at Luffy. "Customer, these are all our finest goods. Which one do you fancy? Or several if you like—ten thousand Berries per girl, quite a bargain."
"From the start, I haven't understood a word you're saying. Besides, I don't have any money."
Luffy dug a finger into his nostril, pulled out a booger, and flicked it away, landing right on the madam's clothes.
"No money?"
Luffy's words stunned the heavily made-up madam.
But soon, visible anger flashed across the woman's face.
Furious, she marched right up to Luffy, pointed at his nose, and yelled.
"No money and you dare come to the pleasure street? You pauper! Get out of here now!"
Luffy rubbed his head and muttered, "What's wrong with you?"
"Who are you saying has something wrong? Have you lost your mind? Don't you know who runs the largest pirate crew in Loguetown? This place is under the protection of the Saruba Pirates! And Lord Saruba is a subordinate of none other than Straw Hat Luffy, the man with a three-billion Berry bounty! Boy, if you don't hand over a hundred thousand Berries right now, don't even think about leaving through that door!"
The woman continued her tirade.
Suddenly, from among the dozen girls, came a somewhat uncertain voice.
It was the girl with pale golden hair.
She had a face that appeared delicate yet held a resolute strength, no less beautiful than Robin's.
"You... are you Strawhat Luffy?"
The girl stared blankly at Luffy, as if confirming she hadn't mistaken him.
"What Luffy? Have you lost your mind? You think just because someone wears a hat, they're Straw Hat Luffy? Ever since Lord Straw Hat became famous, you youngsters keep imitating him. If you want to copy him, at least buy a straw hat to wear! Oh, I forgot—you're a pauper. Straw hats in Loguetown now sell for a hundred thousand Berries each. No money, no hat!"
The madam laughed, her bosom shaking. "That's right, some people even carve scars on their faces like Lord Straw Hat! Straw hat, flip-flops, and shorts—all you have are those shabby sandals. Your imitation is pathetic!"
Luffy completely ignored the madam, instead looking at the girl who had spoken.
He nodded and said.
"Yeah! I'm Monkey D. Luffy. Do you know me?"
"R-really? It's you?"
The girl's pupils dilated abruptly.
Instinctively, she grabbed the front of Luffy's shirt, her lovely face contorting as she let out a hysterical scream.
"Luffy! Luffy! It's you! It really is you! You're the one who destroyed Syrup Village! You're the one who hurt everyone! You're the one who hurt Carrot and Onion! They're dead! All dead! You butcher, look what you've done to the East Blue! Why did you have to become a pirate? Why did you have to become famous?"
The girl screamed hysterically, her eyes shooting with insane hatred, and she actually stretched out her fingers to claw at Luffy's face!
Luffy froze as if struck by lightning, standing motionless and allowing the girl to scratch his face.
In an instant, his face was torn and bleeding from her scratches.
"You're Kaya? The kind girl who gave us the Merry Go?"
Robin was about to intervene to stop the blonde girl, but upon hearing Luffy's words, she froze in shock.
She knew Kaya.
On the ship, she had often heard Usopp talk about her with a smile.
She was a kind and beautiful girl, and the Straw Hat Pirates' first ship, the Merry Go, was gifted to Luffy and his crew by her.
According to Usopp, when they left, the kind-hearted Kaya planned to study medicine so that when Usopp returned after finding the great treasure, she could treat him if he was injured.
Robin had also heard Usopp mention that in Syrup Village, there were three quirky children—Pinwheel, Onion, and Carrot—who were Usopp's little followers.
"Kaya! What madness has taken you again? You..." The madam was furious and raised her hand to slap Kaya across the face.
Luffy shot her a cold glance.
The next moment, the madam's eyes rolled back, foam spewed from her mouth, and she collapsed backward onto the floor.
After a long bout of madness, Kaya finally calmed down.
Her hands, which had been gripping Luffy's clothes, slowly loosened, and she slumped to the ground, her eyes red as she looked up at Luffy, weeping.
"Luffy, save Usopp! Please save him!"